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Lepidoptera & Trichoptera, Bonn

Butterflies

The section's research work is collection-related and covers the areas of taxonomy, systematics, zoogeography and phylogeny. In addition to the curator herself, scientists from all over the world use the existing collections for their own research. They either borrow material or work directly on the collection during shorter or longer research visits.

In addition to the large butterfly collection, the Lepidoptera section also curates material from the closely related order Trichoptera (caddisflies). The latter are rather small in number, but also contain valuable type material.

The Lepidoptera collection currently comprises more than 3 million specimens, making it one of the largest research collections of this insect order in Germany.

Particularly noteworthy is the large proportion of Chinese butterflies (approx. 600,000 specimens).

Contact person

Dr. Marianne Espeland

  • Head of Section Lepidoptera

Phone: +49 228 9122 220
E-Mail: m.espeland@leibniz-lib.de

Projects

Publications

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    2026

  • 2026/09

    Ludreschl, C., Kirse, A., Hartke, T.R., Bhansali, S., Bourlat, S.J., Mayer, C., Ott, D., Bott, F., Rutte, D., Siemt, P., Espeland, M., Scherber, C.

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    Optimised light sources reduce nocturnal insect attraction at railway stations

    Biological conservation, 321

  • 2026/06

    Maßnahme 61: Forschung für mehr Naturschutz. „Insektenschutz an Bahnhöfen durch insektenfreundliche Beleuchtung“ (BALIN)

  • 2026/05

    Beldade, P., Vila, M., Arif, S., Bourgois, A., Bridle, J., Després, L., Elias, M., Espeland, M., Fric, Z.F., Matos‐Maraví, P., Nam, K., Poloni, R., Repullés, M., Saastamoinen, M., Steward, R.A., Tunström, K., Ulaşli, B., Valentino, T., Weinhold, A., Wiemers, M., Bailey, R.I., Blaxter, M., Dincă, V., Lucek, K., Meier, J.I., Nielsen, M.E., Stefanescu, C., Wright, C.J., Joron, M., Wheat, C.W.

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    LepEU: A Consortium to Study the Population Genomics of Butterflies and Moths Across Europe

    Evolutionary Applications, 5, 19

  • 2026/04

    Núñez, R., Bodenheim, A., Álvarez, Y., Wahlberg, N., Espeland, M.

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    Mixture models unveil the origin of the enigmatic Satyrinae butterfly genera Calisto and Llorenteana (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)

    Systematic Entomology, 2, 51

  • 2026/04

    Khan, M., Joshi, M., Ryrholm, N., Huemer, P., Espeland, M., Ivanov, V., Mutanen, M.

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    Target capture efficiently resolves the long‐standing taxonomic dead end of Diachrysia moths

    Systematic Entomology, 2, 51

  • 2026/03

    Joshi, M., Huemer, P., Espeland, M., Mutanen, M.

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    Genomics helps resolve allopatric COI (Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) divergences in selected alpine Lepidoptera and allows for a taxonomic revision of the Symmoca signella species-complex (Autostichidae)

    Insect Systematics and Diversity, 2, 10

  • 2026/01

    Ludreschl, C., Kirse, A., Hartke, T..R., Bhansali, S., Bourlat, S..J., Ott, D., Bott, F., Rutte, D., Siemt, P., Espeland, M., Scherber, C.

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    Optimised light sources reduce nocturnal insect attraction at railway stations

  • 2025

  • 2025/12

    Wright, C.J., Wahlberg, N., Vila, R., Mutanen, M., Matos-Maraví, P., Lucek, K., Kleckova, I., Dapporto, L., Dincă, V., Bruschini, C., Wheat, C.W., Vila, M., Torrado-Blanco, L., Todisco, V., Rindos, M., Nguyen, P., Mulhair, P.O., Kamenova, S., Hicks, M., Espeland, M., Drinnenberg, I.A., Doblas-Bajo, M., Bailey, R.I., Absolon, D., Baixeras, J., Baral, S., Bertocchini, F., Beshkov, S., Boman, J., Bordoni, A., Boussau, B., Bridle, J., Challis, R., Chkhartishvili, T., Cornet, C., Decroly, T., Despres, L., Doblas-Bajo, M., Downes, L., Escuer, P., Elias, M., Emerson, B., Fabusova, M., Fric, Z.F., Gauthier, J., Hévin, N., Huemer, P., Hundsdoerfer, A.K., Joron, M., Keskin, E., Kriegova, E., Kustatscher, E., La Cava, S., Lancho, J., Linke, D., Littmann, L., Lohse, K., Marques, V., McKenna, D., Menchetti, M., Meyer, M., Moreira, T., Nahirnić-Beshkova, A., Nazari, V., Nunez, R., Ortiz, A.S., Õunap, E., Pohjoismäki, J., Potocký, P., Przybyłowicz, Ł., Repullés, M., Rota, J., Scalercio, S., Schattanek-Wiesmar, B., Schattanek-Wiesmair, P., Schmitz, D., Sotero-Caio, C.G., Spilani, L., Spilker, C., Sramkó, G., Stewart, J., Stojanovic, D.V., Bartonova, A.S., Tarmann, G., Toro-Delgado, E., Thallinger, G.G., Ulaşlı, B., Vallinmäki, M., Rita, J.V.P.S., Visacki, V., Vrba, P., Weber, C.C., Wiemers, M., Wiorek, M., Yapar, E., Zlatkovic, M., Zucco, G., Blaxter, M., Meier, J.I.

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    Project Psyche: reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe

    Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 12, 40

  • 2025/10

    Álvarez, Y., Núñez, R., Gallardo-Capó, M., Moraes, S.d.S.

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    A New Species of Tiger Moth of the Genus Syntomeida Harris, 1839 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) From Northeastern Cuba

    Caribbean Journal of Science, 2, 55

  • 2025/09

    HUANG, S., HORIE, K., ESPELAND, M.

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    A review of the genus Docleomorpha Hering (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae) with descriptions of four new species

    Zootaxa, 1, 5689

  • 2025/08

    ÁLVAREZ, Y., NÚÑEZ, R., MAGALDI, L.D.M., MATTHEWS, D., FREITAS, A.V.L., ESPELAND, M.

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    Phenotypes, natural history and barcodes unveil cryptic species within the Caribbean Metalmark Dianesia carteri (Holland) (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae)

    Zootaxa, 1, 5686

  • 2025/08

    Pyrcz, T.W., Boyer, P., Mahecha-J., O., Cerdeña, J., Farfán, J., Garlacz, R., Zając-Garlacz, K.S., Janik, A., Espeland, M.

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    New species of Pronophila and Lasiophila (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) butterflies from the Huancabamba Deflection endemism zone from a phylogenetical perspective based on target enrichment data

    Insect Systematics & Evolution

  • 2025/07

    Espeland, M., Lucek, K., Wright, C.J., Meier, J.I., Blaxter, M.L., Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team, ., Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations, ., Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team, ., Tree of Life Core Informatics collective, ., Project Psyche Community, .

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    The genome sequence of the Crepuscular Burnet, Zygaena carniolica (Scopoli, 1763) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae)

    Wellcome Open Research, 10

  • 2025/07

    Toussaint, E.F.A., Condamine, F.L., dos Santos De Carvalho, A.P., Plotkin, D.M., Ellis, E.A., Dexter, K.M., Earl, C., Aduse-Poku, K., Braby, M.F., Chiba, H., Gott, R.J., Maruyama, K., Morais, A.B., Müller, C.J., Peggie, D., Sáfián, S., Vila, R., Warren, A.D., Yago, M., Breinholt, J.W., Espeland, M., Pierce, N.E., Lohman, D.J., Kawahara, A.Y.

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    Global climate cooling spurred skipper butterfly diversification

    Systematic Biology

  • 2025/07

    Epstein, M.E., Dupont, S.T., Garzón-Orduña, I.J., Solovyev, A.V., Pierce, N.E., Espeland, M.

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    Phylogeny and reclassification of Limacodidae worldwide, with emphasis on the ontogeny of larval defenses (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea)

    Insect Systematics and Diversity, 4, 9

  • 2025/05

    Leong, J.V., Matos‐Maraví, P., Núñez, R., Nunes, R., Liang, W., Braby, M.F., Doleck, T., Aduse‐Poku, K., Inayoshi, Y., Hsu, Y., Wahlberg, N., Peggie, D., Mohagan, A.B., Mohagan, D.P., Genaro, J.A., Perez‐Asso, A.R., Kunte, K., Martins, D.J., Sáfián, S., Kawahara, A.Y., Pierce, N.E., Lohman, D.J.

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    Around the World in 26 Million Years: Diversification and Biogeography of Pantropical Grass‐Yellow Eurema Butterflies (Pieridae: Coliadinae)

    Journal of Biogeography, 5, 52

  • 2025/05

    Letsch, H., Greve, C., Hundsdoerfer, A.K., Irisarri, I., Moore, J.M., Espeland, M., Wanke, S., Arifin, U., Blom, M.P.K., Corrales, C., Donath, A., Fritz, U., Köhler, G., Kück, P., Lemer, S., Mengual, X., Salas, N.M., Meusemann, K., Palandačić, A., Printzen, C., Sigwart, J.D., Silva-Brandão, K.L., Simões, M., Stange, M., Suh, A., Szucsich, N., Tilic, E., Töpfer, T., Böhne, A., Janke, A., Pauls, S.

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    Type genomics: a framework for integrating genomic data into biodiversity and taxonomic research

    Systematic Biology, 6, 74

  • 2025/03

    Pyrcz, T.W., Mahecha-J., O., Lachowska-Cierlik, D., Boyer, P., Lucci Freitas, A.V., Florczyk, K., Fahraeus, C., Cerdeña, J., Núñez-Bustos, E.O., Espeland, M.

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    Evolutionary history of Neotropical butterflies of the infratribe Neosatyriti based on target enrichment (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Satyrini, Pronophilina)

    Invertebrate Systematics, 4, 39

  • 2025/03

    HUANG, S., HORIE, K., MARTIN, G., ESPELAND, M.

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    Taxonomic notes on the genus Himantopterus Wesmael (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea, Himantopteridae) with descriptions of three new taxa

    Zootaxa, 2, 5601

  • 2024

  • 2024/10

    Pyrcz, T., Mahecha-J., O., Boyer, P., Lachowska-Cielik, D., Cerdeña, J., Farfán, J., Garlacz, R., Lorenc-Brudecka, J., Bálint, Z., Fåhraeus, C., Zając-Garlacz, K.S., Espeland, M.

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    A snow-dwelling tropical butterfly? An unprecedented discovery of a new genus of the Pedaliodes clade in an extreme, high-altitude Andean environment (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)

    Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 2, 202

  • 2024/10

    Joshi, M., Espeland, M., Huemer, P., deWaard, J., Mutanen, M.

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    Species delimitation under allopatry: genomic insights within and across continents in Lepidoptera

    Insect systematics and diversity, 5, 8

  • 2024/10

    Nunez, R., Álvarez, Y., Miller, J.Y., Lott, D.M., Fernández, D.M., Espeland, M.

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    A new species of Choranthus Scudder (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Heperiinae) from northeastern Cuba

    Tropical lepidoptera research, 2, 34

  • 2024/10

    HUANG, S., MARTIN, G., ESPELAND, M.

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    Resurrection of the genus Eremothyris Walsingham (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea, Lacturidae)

    Zootaxa, 3, 5519

  • 2024/09

    HUANG, S., INAYOSHI, Y., ESPELAND, M.

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    Two new genus-group replacement names of Riodinidae from Asia (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae)

    Zootaxa, 2, 5512

  • 2024/09

    HUANG, S., INAYOSHI, Y., ESPELAND, M.

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    Two new genus-group replacement names of Riodinidae from Asia (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae)

    Zootaxa, 2, 5512

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